Pandemic Supplies You Will Need For Survival

I wrote an article a few years ago about pandemic supplies we all need to store. I’m updating my pandemic supplies today for those who may have missed it. I also wrote a post about POD’s, your local county health department “point of distribution” centers.

They ask people to attend if they have emergency preparedness skills and train them to pass out critically needed antibiotics should a pandemic occur. Are the POD’s advertised, you may be thinking? No, they are not! You can find out where they are by calling your local county health department.

Point Of Distribution

Please read more about the meeting I was asked to attend: Point of Distribution. Here’s the deal, these centers are set up in different churches and schools in your neighborhood.

The one that Mark and I were assigned to is about 8-10 miles away. Now, to me, this is not realistic, but I’m not in charge. As an emergency preparedness person, I am thinking we may have to walk there, stand in line and walk back with a bag full of supplies if we have an EMP and the cars no longer work, or our cars are out of gas.

I am not walking that many miles, carrying pandemic supplies for my neighborhood. Mark has a bike, but can you imagine what chaos there will be on the route to that church our neighborhood has been designated to go to, let alone the big hill he’d have to peddle his bike over?

Today I want you to think about being prepared with pandemic supplies in your home. I will tell you the antibiotics you need.

I’m Not A Doctor, Nurse, Or Anyone In The Medical Field

Please remember, I am not a doctor, nurse or anyone in the medical field. But I am prepared for the worst scenarios. We must all be prepared for the worst. Please do not expect FEMA, another government agency, or anyone else to take care of you.

You must start stockpiling the items below at the very least. You will add others as you fill your pandemic supplies or first aid supplies. Obviously, if you are on the road, you may not have everything you need as far as pandemic supplies in your car.

Pandemic Supplies

1. Face Masks

(N-95’s) and (n-100’s) to help stop the dust from an earthquake or infections spreading from sneezing (I store 100’s of these, it’s who I am.) 3M 1860 Medical Mask N95, 20 Count

3. Cough medicine, fever medications

Prescriptions as required (stock up on 90 days if possible) Hydrogen Peroxide, Rubbing Alcohol, Vicks, and other OTC drugs you use. Please stock up on essential oils as well. Did you see my OTC Medication Postor the one I wrote on having you Own Home Pharmacy?

4. Portable radio

Hopefully, you have a crank version or some way to power it to hear what is going on locally if you lose power.

6. Manual can opener

7. Garbage bags

Bags of all sizes, kitchen size bags these can be used for trash, body bags if need be, potty chairs, etc.

8. Cans of juices (bag/cartons)

I put 100% juice in this container-ten pouches. I’m sure it has some sugar, I still need it in my bucket.

9. Fluids with Electrolytes

I can also make my own electrolyte solution that is very similar, but I want one large bottle ready to serve. DRIP DROP

10. Anti-diarrhea medicine

Diarrhea can kill if the person gets too dehydrated. I always look at a child’s lips to see if they are dry and shiny red or cracked. If so, they need water asap. Imodium Anti-Diarrhea

11. Paper towels

You can never have too many paper towels.

12. Toilet paper

You can never have too much toilet paper.

13. Thermometer

If someone is that sick we can usually tell if they have a fever. It’s when the fever gets over 104 degrees in the morning that things become so critical. Typically fevers are always higher in the afternoon. I get worried if it’s in the morning, it’s just me.

If I can’t break a fever, I will worry. If I can break a fever, I feel the fever is good and is fighting the virus naturally. Remember I am not a doctor, I am a mother and a grandma. We all have mother’s intuition, if the child is lethargic, we know what to do.

But if we have zero access to a doctor or antibiotics, I want to be able to think through what I must do to help someone until professional help arrives. Please keep the baby, child or adult hydrated.

14. Canned baby formula

Be sure and get some baby bottles ready to serve, if needed. I do not have any babies around me, but if I had to feed a newborn baby I would have something, hopefully, that is nourishing to a baby.

15. Dog/Pet food

I am thinking about my beloved Shih-Tzu, Bailey. If you have pets, add some cans of food or extra bags of food for them in your stash.

16. Soap and anti-bacterial soap

I am constantly washing my hands. I know this is one more way we can not only keep our hands clean but also slow down the spread of infection by washing our hands. I store several bars of my favorite soap called Tone.

17. Paper Cups/Plates/Plastic Utensils

You can never store too many paper cups, plates, and plastic utensils.

18. Disposable rubber gloves

You can never have too many disposable gloves. Latex free versions are even better when you decide to buy some to add to your stash.

19. Bleach

Okay, I have to say we need bleach. I know some people are against bleach. Well, I will use it to clean up the sewage backup overflow or whatever I need to kill bacteria. Pool “shock” chemicals work well too (very concentrated-be careful).

20. Clear plastic sheeting (4mil)

Get 100 feet for setting up isolation rooms.

21. Duct Tape

Oh my gosh, I just start thinking about Duct Tape, it has a million ways we can use it. That’s the link where I share 25 ways to use duct tape.

22. Borax

Great for toilet provisions. It helps clean the potty chair, but also, put a little in the bottom of the portable toilet to help control the odor. Borax Uses Around The House

23. Clothesline rope and clothes pins

We might have a washing/rinsing bucket, but we will need to hang up some wet clothes to dry.

24. Laundry Soap

We need laundry soap/detergent for washing dirty underwear, at the very least. We can wear shirts and short or pants several times, but it would be nice to have clean underwear.

25. Dawn Dish Soap

This is my favorite liquid soap. It may cost a bit more, but the few cents is totally worth the grease this stuff can clean. We need to be able to wash the dishes, serving spoons, spatulas, pans needed to prepare meals.

26. Kitty Litter

I store this stuff, it’s great for emergency toilets.

27. Water Filters and purification devices

I use the LifeStraw and the Berkey Sports Water Bottle for filtering water as well as the Big Berkey Water Purifying System.

28. Water/Food Buckets

Never throw out buckets you can use for other things like washing, rinsing or mixing large batches of meals for your neighborhood (food containers only for meal preparation).

29. Water

Please store LOTS of water, at least 1-4 gallons per person per day. I prefer 4-gallons but store as much as you possibly can.

30. Food Storage

Please store at least seven days of food for each member of your family. Here is a chart for you to write down what you eat for seven days. Thirty days, 90 days or more would be fantastic, but do what your budget will allow, one can at a time.

If we had a pandemic you will be confined to your home, the local grocery store will be closed and I can guarantee you the government will not deliver food to your doorstep. It’s not going to happen. We must be self-reliant, period. Food Storage For 7 DaysThis document, you fill out as a family.

You decide what you will eat for every day of the week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days. I use these at every class I teach on food storage and emergency preparedness to show people how easy it is to plan your food storage for one week.

31. Antibiotics

ALWAYS check with your doctor before we have a pandemic to see what prescriptions are safe for you to store and use before we are faced with a full on pandemic. See is you can get a 90 day supply. You may be able to get a whole years worth if you pay cash and do not go through your insurance.

Amoxicillin

Cephalexin (Keflex)

Is good for skin infections, sinus infections, bladder infections, bronchitis or other chronic conditions.

Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)

Is good for bladder infections, Anthrax, plague, pneumonic plague

My doctor informed me that most antibiotics will last five to ten years beyond the listed expiration date. He told me about his experience during the Haiti earthquake disaster. He and other doctors went on a humanitarian mission in hopes they could make a difference.

They were able to take some antibiotics with them and were grateful they did since the hospitals and clinics ran out almost overnight. He realized that many victims would have lost limbs if not for the antibiotics they took along.

Think about what you would do if someone in your family is cut really badly and they are getting a bad infection, you will need some meds to tide you over until additional supplies become available, just some things to think about. What alternative medicines are we prepared to use?

Final Word

Please plan out your pandemic supplies, we will need them sooner or later, I promise. Please be prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda

37 thoughts on “Pandemic Supplies You Will Need For Survival”

I have been following you for quite awhile and have implemented most of your ideas int my personal preparedness. Thank you for this service. My question is about antibiotics . How can we stock up on them? Don’t you need a Dr’s prescription to get them? Again, thank you for the information you are getting out for those of us who are trying to be prepared for whatever happens.

Hi Vickie, Thank you so much for following me, it means a lot. I have a doctor I have been going to once a year for over 10 years. If I get a UTI, I ask for refills so I don’t have to go back in to see him. I refill them whether I need them or not every month. You need to realize an InstaCare type clinic is not a primary physician doctor. They will never give you refills. They do not know you. It’s critical you find a doctor that understands your need to have refills. Where you live you may not find one. I never ask for pain killer, only antibiotics. If I’m travelling I go see him and ask for Amoxicillin or whatever so I don’t have to visit an expensive clinic. I never abuse the antibiotics, Linda

There is kind of an open secret in the prepper community that fish and bird antibiotics are quite often the same as human antibiotics, right down to the dosage in each pill. If you search on the terms “fish antibiotics” and “bird antibiotics” you should find a lot of info on warnings as well as usage and places to get them (legally without a prescription.) For disaster purposes I have a decent supply of fish antibiotics stored away. For any issues in normal times I always go to the doctor and the lab to get tested and get a written prescription if needed. But whenever I take antibiotics to treat something I save the drug info sheets in case I need to treat a family member (or myself!) after an event when the healthcare system is unavailable or overwhelmed.

I had read an article about using Fishmox, a fish Amoxicillin, in case of disaster. I purchased some and put aside. Later, I became sick with a horrible sinus infection…and my finances were awful. So, I gave it a whirl! To my surprise, it worked like a champ! So, as a human guinea pig…lol…i can attest that it worked and saved me a lot of money! Just wanted to pass this along

Whenever I get a legitimate prescription for antibiotics, I Tell my doctor I “accidentally” lost my bottle of pills on day 1 and ask them for a duplicate prescription. In five years I have Accumulated three full bottles.

Hi Sharon, you are so welcome, thank you for following. I don’t have a homemade alternative yet, BUT I have been seeing people sewing them for our medical health care professionals. I saw it on the local news about a lady making them for the medical professional in Utah where I live. Until you find a pattern, if you have to venture out of the house wear non-latex gloves and cover your nose and mouth with a large handkerchief??? I have some masks and have not used them yet. BUT, I also work from home. May God bless all of us, Linda

No better feeling than being some what prepared. In regards to first aid, I purchased 3 tool boxes & each week walked through the drug store purchasing supplies. You have to put a lot of thought into this chore. Make sure you get one of those little eye glass repair kits, items for tooth ache, gauze, antiseptic, band aids, Rubbing Alcohol. I then put each kit in a different location. You can never have enough water or food. We canned Spring water in mason jars & stored it in a dark location.

Just wanted to add that for thermometers, it’s important to have non electric thermometers for a pandemic in case the electric ones stop working (running out of batteries, EMP, etc.) And I needed to mention that while having antibiotics on hand can be a life saver, in some pandemics they won’t be helpful – antibiotics won’t help against viruses like influenza or Ebola. Hopefully we’ll have some idea of what’s circulating before communications are cut off, otherwise it’s a hard call on what to use during an event. All in all, a great list. Thanks for all you do!

You NEED Fluids – – – It’s not just sweating that causes dehydration. The dry, cold of winter can do it too, just by breathing. Did you know that millions of people die each year from diarrhea and the dehydration it causes?

Just a 10% decrease in your body’s fluids will result in death. ————————————- — Pedialyte is best, not Gatorade!– ————————————- The simplest re-hydration / Electrolyte Replacement Drink concoction you can mix up at home: 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Mix in a quart (or liter) of water and drink when dehydrated

Some people add a bit of Kool-Aid to provide flavor, but it isn’t necessary.

Hi Bruce, thank you for this recipe, it’s awesome! My daughter is 49 and she almost died last year from dehydration, it’s bad stuff. She called me and she was not making sense, I told her son to take her to the ER. I live six hours away from her. Luckily she made it in time. She could have died. She was in the hospital for 3 days, it’s nothing to mess around with for sure. Great comment, Linda

WOW! That was close! For years working outdoor construction I learned my favorite trick for staying hydrated is lemon water! Simple and cheap but the lemon makes the water feel like it’s soaking in on the way down – instead of sloshing around inside 😉 But Instead of icky gatorade that’s the recipe I’d use!

HI Elizabeth, I use the tackle box to store only a few items. That’s just my quick grab and go one. I have a hall cabinet that is filled with medical supplies. And another closet filled with items needed for stitches, broken arms, etc. I also have a Stanley Max container. Let me grab the link. https://www.foodstoragemoms.com/first-aid-kits-need-survive-emergency/ I hope this helps, Linda

To the above recipe, you can add 1/8-1/4 teaspoon Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate, and a huge box is pretty cheap) and 1/8-1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar (potassium bitartrate). There’s more to electrolytes than just sodium. For the regular salt, use Celtic sea salt or pink Himalayan salt for the added trace minerals if you can, but regular works fine (though ideally stock up on all of them) If you have bottled lemon or lime juice, that helps the taste, but when you really need it, it doesn’t taste bad. When you suddenly can’t stand it, switch to plain water for a while. Also, for an adult, if they are on prescription diuretics (lasix, HCTZ, etc), they should hold them until the diarrhea and dehydration are resolved. As always, check with your own medical provider and do your own research; I’m a retired nurse plus I’ve researched and used it successfully with family members and my home care patients, but I don’t know you personally. Take care all. 🙂

Masks: Research published just this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that as far as influenza was concerned, there was no statistical difference between N95 and regular medical masks in preventing the spread of the disease. Only 7.2% of medical care providers wearing the regular medical mask got influenza, compared with 8.2% wearing the N95 mask. Here’s the link to the article: https:// jamanetwork. com/journals/jama/article- abstract/2749214 (Remove the spaces.)

Second, as noted above, most pandemics involve viruses, for which antibiotics will not work. For something like a typhus epidemic (more soldiers and civilians working with them died from it than from battle) or bubonic/pneumonic plague (which people in Los Angeles and surrounding areas should be preparing for) doxycycline should be added to the list of antibiotics to acquire. Cipro doesn’t work for typhus. (Actually, nothing else works for typhus–there are no known natural remedies, either.) Cipro will work for plague, but doxy works just as well, has fewer potential side effects, and is a whole lot cheaper. (For those wanting more information, there are articles on typhus and plague at my blog–PrepSchoolDaily dot blogspot dot com).

Third, many fish antibiotics can be obtained perfectly legally in feed and ranch stores or online (Thomas Labs is one source–I’ve never used them, so I can’t give recommendations). I’ve gotten all my antibiotics from AllDayChemist in India. Dr. Joseph Alton, author of Alton’s Antibiotics and Infectious Disease, researched “fish antibiotics” and as one who advises preparedness-minded people, it’s what he recommends obtaining. Ideally, we’d all have doctors who help us obtain the medications we’d like to have on hand to be prepared, but unfortunately, those doctors are very difficult to find.

There is no way I’d do what your doing at a distribution center. That’s the worst place to be. Done that in the military and ain’t doing it no more. I built my team kits a while back. Went to dollar tree and got a Tupperware type container put a 10ft roll of duct tape, heavy kitchen gloves of the right size then to amazon for a tyvex suit of the correct size and a face mask for each member. I’d prefer they use their gas mask but ….

Hi Matt, I got the giggles reading your comment in a good way. After going to the Distribution Center meeting I called my prepper doctor the next day and he said: “Linda, do not get involved with that POD group, you will be a walking target”. It was then that I knew my gut was telling me the same thing. Do not go back. I was glad I had the training but will more than likely stay clear from it. I better get a Tyvex suit, thanks for the reminder. I always love your comments, Linda

I though you might have a list, but printing the article will work plus I like the recipe for the homemade electrolyte solution. Of course your book covers everything, so I can refer to it. I think this subject and facet of preparedness is critical and should not be overlooked. Pandemics or nuclear radiation are often seen as less probably, but you need or we all need to be prepared and ready to deal with these scenarios. Really, we need to be prepared for anything and as you say, eventually something will occur at some time in everyone’s lives.

As a prepper it’s always wise to know how to make do, make it yourself or improvise. And as good as clean water is, sometimes I like to drink Propel or something with flavor as it’s more palatable when one is not feeling up to par. In addition alternatives to plain water offer minerals, vitamins,protein, etc that can provide a more effective remedy to dehydration, over heating or even low blood sugar. And here we see the importance of sugar and salt or even some Splenda or Truvia for situations where sugar would be harmful.

I like that you emphasize hygiene and cleanliness. The effort to avoid cross contamination and being dirty is preferable to becoming sick. Luckily the dollar stores can provide cheap products to create kits and then we can buy in bulk for our homes. Soap, wipes, rubbing alcohol, anti-bacterial gel, and even hydrogen peroxide or bleach are not expensive. I’m going to print this article and share it with some relatives and suggest they read your book.

Hi Frank, you know by now I always love your comments! I will try and make printables going forward. I love that my posts can be printed because my readers like to print them out. I finally found someone that can make printables for me. You know, if she could make just my “lists” of things printable as well. Then my readers have the choice of printing the whole post and or the printable list of items. Great comment, Linda

Linda, Just wanted to let you know that Brownell’s has Blue Can on Sale right now, 9/16/19 for $24.99 per case with free shipping if you buy 2 cases. Also, Berkey, when ordered directly from the manufacturer’s website, is offering the Black Berkey filters at a discount if you buy multiple pairs. I ordered 3 sets of 2 filters. For each additional pair of filters they take $30 off the price. Woot woot! We’ve (the two family crazy people, or, as we prefer to say: self-reliant, independent, forward-thinking family members) have been wanting more filters fooorrreeevvveeerrr. I finally have 8 for our emergency Berkey Imperial. Yippee!

Hi Christina, oh my gosh that is the best price with FREE shipping. I’m going to post that right now. Oh, and the black Berkey filters!!! I love “self-reliant, independent, forward-thinking family members” You rock, thank for the tips!!! Linda

Linda – I didn’t comment on this post last year but I did heed the warning! I am not part of a POD but I am prepared for my own survival. Not many where I live (Senior apartment complex) are prepped! Not that I didn’t try but they all seem to be very obstinate!! So sad for them.

At this time, during the pandemic we are experiencing, I am doing the following: I am eating what is in my freezer and fridge first. When that is pretty well empty, I will start in on the non-perishable short term preps – canned veggies, fruits, meats, boxed dinners, etc. As long as I am able, and the local market has fruits and veggies, I will go get fresh to supplement. But, if I am not able or they are out of stock, I have canned to tide me over. If it gets bad enough or last long enough, then I will dip into my long term storage.

I feel well prepped for first aid and other health issues. I have most of what is on the list in some form or other.

Thanks – perhaps NOW people will listen to our common sense and PREPARE!

HI Leanne, I sure hope a few people have learned from this Pandemic. #1 Stock food (at least enough for 3 months for every family member) #2 Store water #3 Learn to cook from scratch #4 Be self-reliant #Grow some vegetables Let’s hope a lot of people have learned from this disaster or Pandemic, either way, it’s bad. Take care, Linda